MANILA, Philippines ? Manny Pacman?s eyes glittered. Noynoy Aquino flashed his you-don?t-worry-me grin. Thus did a handler/manager/freelance ?sports chronicler? by the name of Hermie Rivera think he?s about to make/remake history as the man whose gorilla of an idea brought Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. to ?Thrilla in Manila? part 2.
Part 1 happened in 1975, when Muhammad Ali grilled Joe Frazier like hamburger. Now, 35 years later, with multimedia, entertainers, and athletes (boxers and golfers, for example) spinning more money than ever before, Hermie thinks it?s time greedy promoters were TKO?d out of the ring. Minus Arum for Pacquiao and De la Hoya for Mayweather, the two gloved gladiators will enjoy a take-home pay so humongous they?ll not bother to unhurt Bob?s and Oscar?s feelings.
The bout of the century sans promoters? Piece of cake, insists Hermie. Pacman retires after Nov. 13, knocking out his contract with Bob Arum, while the routinely out-of-control Mayweather creates severe climate change for whoever his promoter might be, and The Thrilla gets under way, as easily as vanilla ice cream melting in the excitement and heat of Manila 2011.
